MEMPHIS -- Ben Crane estimates he slept less than three hours in a night spent praying and thanking God that his game finally has come back around.

Then he played 30 holes Sunday in winning the St. Jude Classic for his first PGA Tour title since 2011, setting off a celebration that included hugging his caddie and high-fiving a reporter. Crane also choked back some tears as he looked at text messages filling his phone.

"Oh my gosh, it just keeps going," Crane said, looking at his phone. "How many can a phone hold? This is so much fun"

Crane closed with a 3-over 73 for a one-stroke victory, going wire to wire for his fifth career victory. Rain delays forced him into the marathon session Sunday at TPC Southwind, finishing 12 holes in the morning in a third-round 69 to take a three-shot lead into the final round.

He two-putted for bogey on the final hole to finish at 10-under 270, days after failing to qualify for the U.S. Open. That marked a low point for the 38-year-old player who spent the past six months reworking his swing to protect his back wondering if his career was over. He spent time with a coach picturing the right way to hit shots.

Everything clicked Thursday with an opening 63.

"I did not expect the hole to open up like that and just start making putts from everywhere," Crane said. "Just hit a lot of quality shots and obviously built a nice lead to start out with."

Phil Mickelson, among those tuning up for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, left winless in his 20th event since the British Open. He tied for 11th at 6 under after a 72.

Consecutive birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 put Mickelson at 8 under. But he bogeyed the next two, including the par-3 14th where he hit a 7-iron into the water in front of the green. He still finished much better than his tie for 49th at Memorial last week after an early visit from FBI agents and lingering questions about an insider-trading investigation.

"The way I drove the ball last two rounds I had an opportunity to shoot really low," Mickelson said. "My iron play was poor, and my putting was pathetic. I'll have to make some changes and to get ready for next week. But the game is not far off because I'm driving the ball very well and putting it in play."

Crane said he only glanced at the leaderboard a couple times.

"I just knew I was leading, and I knew Phil Mickelson was out there so," Crane said. "And Phil's a good friend, and he kind of gave me that, 'I'm coming after you.'"

Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Arkansas Razorbacks) shot an even-par 70 and finished in a tie for 13th at 5 under.

David Lingmerth (Razorbacks) who birdied three of his final four holes to make the weekend cut, was 7 over on Sunday and finished in a tie for 69th, just ahead of John Daly (Dardanelle, Razorbacks) whose 6-over brought him to 11 over for the tournament.

LPGA

Park wins; Lewis still No. 1

WATERLOO, Ontario -- Inbee Park won the Manulife Financial Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title in more than 11 months, matching the course record with a 10-under 61 for a three-stroke victory over Cristie Kerr.

A week after losing the top spot in the world ranking to Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks), Park finished at 23-under 261 at Grey Silo for her 10th LPGA Tour title and first since the U.S. Women's Open. She had only one bogey in 72 holes -- on the fourth hole in the first round.

Lewis' first week holding the No. 1 ranking didn't go how she planned, but she finished on a strong note, tying for second best round of the day with a 8-under 63 to backdoor her way to a tie for 6th.

"Well, I just wanted to play well. I've kind of had some frustrating rounds all week so I just wanted to put together a good round," Lewis said. "Still even left a few out there today, but it's just nice to see some putts go in kind of leading into the off week and into the Open."

Lewis will join Cristie Kerr as only the second American since the Rolex Rankings were established in 2006 to enter the U.S. Women's Open No. 1 in the world. Park narrowed the gap but based off of projections, Lewis should still hold a narrow lead for No. 1 in the world entering the year's second major championship.

Park played the front nine in 5-under 31 and added birdies on Nos. 10, 12-14 and 18 to match the course record set last year by Hee Young Park.

Park ended a 20-event tour winless streak. Last year, she swept the first three majors and finished the season with six victories. She also won the Ladies European Tour's World Ladies Championship three months ago in China.

WEB.COM

Record playoff decides winner

WESTLAKE, Ohio -- New Zealand's Steven Alker won the Cleveland Open on Sunday in the longest playoff in Web.com Tour history, beating South Africa's Dawie van der Walt with a birdie on the 11th extra hole.

Alker and van der Walt parred for first 10 holes in the playoff at Lakewood Country Club before Alker finally broke through on the par-4 18th.

The 11-hole playoff broke the tour record of nine set it 1998 in Eric Booker's victory over Notah Begay III in the Lehigh Valley Open, and matched in 2009 in Gary Christian's victory over Mathias Gronberg in the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic. It also matched the record for the longest playoff in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, set in the 1949 Motor City Open when Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum were declared co-winners because of darkness.

Alker bogeyed the final two holes of regulation for a 6-under 65, while van der Walt birdied the last two holes for a 66. They finished at 14-under 270 on the A.W. Tillinghast-designed course that opened in 1921.

Glen Day (Little Rock) finished with a 4-over 75 and in a tie for 67th place.

EUROPEAN PGA

Lundberg survives playoff

ATZENBRUGG, Austria -- Mikael Lundberg beat Bernd Wiesberger in a playoff on Sunday to win the Lyoness Open for his first European Tour title in six years and third overall.

Lundberg, who made three birdies in a row on his way to a 65, and Wiesberger, who shot 69, were tied at 12 under after the fourth round.

CHAMPIONS

Sluman, Funk hold on

RIDGEDALE, Mo. (AP) -- Jeff Sluman and Fred Funk teamed to win the Champions Tour's Legends of Golf on Sunday.

Sluman and Funk finished with a 6-under 48 at Top of the Rock, the first par-3 course used in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, to beat Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen by a stroke.

The winners finished at 20-under 159. They opened with an 11-under 61 in better-ball play on the regulation Buffalo Ridge course and had a 50 on Saturday on the par-3 layout.

Haas and Jacobsen, the second-round leaders, finished with a 50.

Sports on 06/09/2014